Radio communication controller for subscriber-requested calling code prefacing

• US 5,153,904 A
• Filed: 10/15/1990
• Issued: 10/06/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: McDonald, Daniel J., Coombes, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US07/597,461
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58-60, 379/63, 379/354, 379/355
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/912 Geographically adaptive

Abstract

A radio communication controller (106, 401) is disclosed which is capable of accessing a database having a subscriber unit identification code (302, 601) and a preselected calling code, or area code, accumulating a keyed Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) telephone number from the subscriber unit wishing to make an interconnect call (110, 407), and comparing (215, 518) this area code with that of the controller site. The controller, as employed by the invention, is further capable of deciding whether or not the area code is required for completing the interconnect call, and if so, prefacing (217, 520) the accumulated PSTN telephone number with the area code preselected by the user of that subscriber unit.

Claims

1. A radio communication controller coupled to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and associated with a fixed PSTN area code, the radio communication controller having a stored identification code and a first PSTN area code, each associated with a subscriber unit and an accumulator which accumulates a keyed PSTN telephone number from the at least one subsrciber unit, the radio communication controller further comprising:

means for receiving an identification and a service request from the subscriber unit;

means for matching said received identification with the stored identification code;

means for detecting a difference between the first PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code when said received identification and the stored identification code are the same; and

means for prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with the first PSTN area code when said detected difference is present.

2. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for matching further comprises means for retrieving the stored first PSTN area code.

3. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for sending the accumulated PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is absent, and means for sending said prefaced PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is present, out to the PSTN telephone lines.

4. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for storing further comprises means for storing at least one data record.

5. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 4, wherein said at least one data record further comprises a first field allocated for the identification code, and a second field allocated for the first PSTN area code.

6. A radio communication controller coupled to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), further coupled to at least two fixed sites, the radio communication controller having stores first identification code and first PSTN area code, each associated with a subscriber unit, a stored second identification code and fixed PSTN area code, the second identification code and the fixed PSTN area code associated with one of the at least two fixed sites, an accumulator which accumulates a keyed PSTN telephone number from the at least one subscriber unit, the radio communication controller further comprising:

first means for receiving a first identification and a service request from the subscriber unit, which request indicates that a PSTN area code is to be retrieved;

first means for matching said received first identification with the first identification code;

second means for receiving a second identification of one of the at least two fixed sites, which fixed site is communicating with the subscriber unit;

second means for matching said received second identification with the second identification code;

means for detecting a difference between said requested PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code; and

means for prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with said requested PSTN area code when said detected difference is present.

7. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a first data record, said first data record comprising a first field allocated for said first identification code, and a second field allocated for said first PSTN area code.

8. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 6, further having a stored second PSTN area code associated with the at least one subscriber unit, and a means for receiving a second service request, which request indicates that the second PSTN area code is to be retrieved.

9. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 6, further comprising means for sending the accumulated PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is absent, and means for sending said prefaced PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is present, out to the PSTN telephone lines.

10. A radio communication controller in accordance with claim 6, wherein the stored second identification code is associated with a second data record, said second data record comprising a third field allocated for said second identification code, and a fourth field allocated for said fixed PSTN area code.

11. A radio communication system having at least two fixed sites coupled to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a controller coupled to each of the at least two fixed sites and also coupled to the PSTN, and at least one subscriber unit, the radio communication system controller further having a stored first identification code and first PSTN area code associated with each of the at least one subscriber unit, a stored second identification code and fixed PSTN area code associated with each of the at least two fixed sites, a stored second PSTN area code associated with each of the at least one subscriber unit, the radio communication system controller further having an accumulator which accumulates a key PSTN telephone number from the at least one subscriber unit, the radio communication system comprising:

first means for receiving a first identification and a service request from the at least one subscriber unit, which request indicates whether the first or the second PSTN area code is to be retrieved;

second means for receiving a second identification of one at least two fixed sites, which fixed site is communicating with the subscriber unit;

first means at the controller for matching said first identification with the first identification code;

second means at the controller for matching said second identification with the second identification code;

means at the controller for detecting a difference between said requested PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code; and

means at the controller for prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with said requested PSTN area code when said detected difference is present.

12. A radio communication system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising means at the controller for sending the accumulated PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is absent, and means for sending said prefaced PSTN telephone number when said detected difference is present, out to the PSTN telephone lines.

13. A method of prefacing a first Public Telephone Switching Network (PSTN) area code which, along with an identification code, is stored in a database in a radio communication controller, which first PSTN area code and identification code is associated with a subscriber unit, to a PSTN telephone number keyed by a user of the subsrciber unit and accumulated by the radio communication controller, the radio communication controller being located at a site which is associated with a fixed PSTN area code, comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification and a service request from the at least one subscriber unit;

matching said received identification with the stored identification code;

detecting a difference between the first PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code when said matching step yields an exact likeness between said received identification and the stored identification code; and

prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with the first PSTN area code when said detecting a difference step yields a difference between the first PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code.

14. A method of prefacing in accordance with claim 13, further comprising the step of sending the accumulated PSTN telephone number when said detecting step yields no difference, and means for sending said prefaced PSTN telephone number when said detecting step yields a difference, out to the PSTN telephone lines.

15. A method of prefacing a predetermined, requested Public Telephone Switching Network (PSTN) area code which, along with a first identification code, is stored in a database within a radio communication controller, and associated with one of at least one subscriber unit, to a PSTN telephone number keyed by a user of the at least one subscriber unit and accumulated by the controller, the radio communication controller being coupled to at least two fixed sites, each fixed site associated with a fixed PSTN area code, the database further storing a second identification code and the fixed PSTN area code, each associated with one of the at least two fixed sites, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first identification and service request from one of the subscriber unit, which request indicates that a PSTN area code is to be retrieved;

matching said received first identification with the first identification code;

receiving a second identification of one of the at least two fixed sites, which fixed site is communicating with said one subscriber unit;

matching said raceived second identification with the second identification code;

detecting a difference between said requested PSTN area code and the fixed PSTN area code; and

prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with said requested PSTN area code when said detecting step yields a difference.

16. A method of prefacing in accordance with claim 15, further comprising the step of sending the accumulated PSTN telephone number when said detecting step yield no difference, and means for sending said preface PSTN telephone number when said detecting step yields a difference, out to the PSTN telephone lines.

17. A method of prefacing a first or a second Public Telephone Switching Network (PSTN) area code which, along with a first identification code, are stored in a database and associated with one of at least one subscriber unit, to a PSTN telephone number keyed by a user of the at least one subscriber unit roaming within a radio communication system, which radio communication system further comprises a controller which accumulates the keyed PSTN telephone number and is coupled to the database and at least two fixed sites, each fixed site associated with a fixed PSTN area code, the database further storing a second identification code and the fixed PSTN area code, each associated with one of the at least two fixed sites, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first identification and service request from one of the at least one subscriber unit, which request indicates whether the first or the second PSTN area code is to be retrieved;

receiving a second identification of one of the at least two fixed sites, which fixed site is communicating with said one subscriber unit;

matching the first identification with the first identification code;

matching the second identification with the second identification code;

detecting a difference between said fixed PSTN area code and said requested PSTN area code when said first identification and the first identification code are equal; and

prefacing the accumulated PSTN telephone number with said requested PSTIN area code when said detecting step yields a difference.